Kapitel 3: ISSUE 02 REALITY VS CONSTRUCT
They flew across the ocean blue expanse for miles. From the waves below, Kyle watched himself soar. He looked like a star. He felt like something else entirely. If he didn't focus, he wouldn't be able to recognize himself.
A month ago he couldn't leave his room.
Now his feet wouldn't touch the ground. His hands wouldn't stop grazing the surface of the ocean. Even as his power-ring rambled about the newly recognized species of poisonous fish and ranking Atlanteans scouring below. He could see them with every topographical green pulse blooming from his ring.
"A scanner, ocean blaster, 3d printer, machine gun….. what can't this thing do?" Kyle marveled as he looked at his ring.
He could see everything.
"What have you done this time, Kyle?" He asked his reflection in the waves.
"Here we are." Ganthet said.
Kyle looked up from the ocean surface and found Jump City bay in the distance. An impossibly small island off the coast of San Francisco only able to house a glass and metal skyscraper in the shape of a T. How on the nose.
Home of the Titans. Protectors of the west-coast. Once a team of preteens superpowered by nepotism and demonic fathers, they were now functioning young adults. Said to be the next Justice League….. if they could overcome their relationship drama's.
They drifted to the ground, stopping at the door into Titan's tower.
Ganthet looked to him. His thick white eyebrows firm with either focus or irritation. "Scan this building."
"How do…. Nevermind. Willpower." Kyle held his ring to the building.
A green pulse spread over the entirety of it, giving a sort of infrared reading of everyone and everything inside. Electrical signatures and data pads hidden behind control panels fired up, recognizing the new energy signature alerting them to their presence.
"We have one of yours. We come in piece. The one that harmed your Atlantean has been neutralized." Ganthet spoke into Kyle's ring.
A dove flew overhead. At least he thought it was a dove until he saw that it was green... and shifting into a monkey right before slamming into the glass of the tower forty feet up.
The ape roared and flipped down the tower until it landed as a German shepherd in front of them, sniffing all warily.
"What the…"
The shapeshifter assumed the form of a well muscled young adult with a full black beard, green skin and bright yellow eyes. It reminded him of a wolf.
"New Green-Lantern!? Dope, man. At this point there's more of you guys than us!Names Beast-Man. But I'm sure you knew that. I'm kinda famous." Beast-Man puffed out his hairy naked chest.
"…..I don't really watch tv." Kyle said.
"Someone bring back the old Green-Lantern….. oh hey, Guardian. What are you doing here?" Beast-Man questioned.
"Trying to save the universe." Ganthet replied casually as Beast-Man suddenly noticed Aqualad. How he missed him as a German shepherd was beyond them both.
"By beating Aqualad? What the hell, guys?!" Beast-Man growled like a wolf…. And tiger…. And alligator…. All at the same time.
Kyle took a step backward.
"Stand down, ape-brains." Someone yelled from a window above them before flipping outside.
He landed in a perfect crouch behind them. If Kyle didn't see it, he wouldn't have heard him.
Aqualad moved like a ninja-fish on steroids.
But the acrobat in black behind them, moved like an assassin.
There was a difference.
"Nightwing. It's good to see you." Ganthet gave a bow.
"Likewise, Ganthet. I'm sorry for your loss. I sent message out to Batman and the Justice League but emails offworld take time. Especially when you don't know where they are."
Ganthet nodded. "Our last hope is shared among few. But sector two-eight-one-four, will remain."
Nightwing smiled, "Good to hear. So, I take it you all had a run in with Ohm?"
Ganthet handed Nightwing his Atlantean teammate. "He was inexperienced, brash and smelled like chemical paints and wires. We used him as a training dummy. The police just apprehended him."
"Thanks for the back-up. Also, hey. Names Nightwing." The acrobat in black and blue held out a hand to be shaken.
Kyle took it— trying not to look too starstruck, "Kyle… wait—"
Nightwing smiled, "First name basis already??? I'm flattered."
Kyle couldn't hide the warming of his cheeks with his half mask.
Nightwing slapped his shoulder, "Don't sweat it, man. If I wanted your identity I'd run your physical stats through a collegiate sports database. Your walk tells me you played football— you were a good dribbler. You didn't like it. You prefer drawing based on the faint ink markings on your cheek. People tend to touch their eyes when they're tired. You're stressed. Art deadlines? Don't classes not start for another day? You must do gig work on the side" Nightwing mused.
Kyle was too stunned to speak.
Nightwing shrugged, "My dad's the greatest detective alive. My younger brother is the greatest hacker alive. My even younger sister is the greatest martial artist alive. I pick up what I can. I'm sure you will too, Kyle." He winked.
"Right…" Kyle mumbled.
Beast-man rolled his eyes from beside Nightwing. "This is why I can't steal candy bars in peace. Smug little sh—"
"Now, if you'll excuse us. We have work to do, as do you." Ganthet said to Nightwing, carelessly interrupting the green-skinned animal-man.
Nightwing nodded, "Yep. Made some interesting discoveries on Project Cadmus. Thankfully you brought Aqualad back in one piece. We'll need him tonight."
Ganthet and Nightwing shook hands.
Then Kyle did the same. Before he knew it, they were flying away from Titan's tower. Casually. As if he didn't just meet heroes he'd read about in the papers since childhood. As if he wasn't wielding the power of a Justice Leaguer at the ripe age of twenty.
Somehow, Ganthet knew to take them back to his home of north-Hollywood. They stood on a rooftop, overlooking the pretentious valley spread of city life. Nighttime welcomed them, minus the cover of darkness thanks to the glow of his suit.
He felt naked then as Ganthet stood across from him, staring in silence. It left him with his own thoughts and rememberances. He had class in the morning. He had a job. He had…..
"Listen, Gunther—"
"Ganthet, Lantern."
"Ganthet." Kyle corrected, "Today was crazy— I'm glad I could help. But..." He trailed off as Ganthet held his hand out and lifted his arm.
An invisible grip fastened around Kyle's ring-bearing hand, lifting it to his face.
"Before you say anything else, I'd like you to know what you're now apart of." Ganthet started. "You've been bestowed with a great honor, Kyle Rayner of earth."
Green light flowed from his ring, twisting and taking shape. The real world around him faded to the back as a stop motion universe of constructs enveloped them.
Lanterns of all races and species blew past him in clear images. Some human— almost familiar? Others with wings and great armor. One was even a literal planet.
"We are part of an age old peace keeping force. We protect the universe from many threats. We save lives. We maintain balance and face fear valiantly. It's our greatest strength. We fight fear better than anyone— no matter where it hides within the cosmos. Its thanks to our innate strength of will. You have it, Kyle."
The constructs shifted to the sight of him from before, facing off against Ohm with a bloody face and torn jacket. He looked pathetic. Small.
"The ring chose you. It's never wrong." Ganthet explained as he too watched the constructs tell a story.
Kyle looked away from his hours old self, "Then this might be a first, Ganthet. I'm barely an adult. I've been hiding— in fear, running for most of my life. A life I've barely even started….. and you want me to what? Save the universe? I couldn't even save my girlfriend."
"Even the greatest heroes fail, Kyle Rayner." Ganthet pointed to the ring.
It buzzed and shifted the lightshow to something far more horrifying.
Suddenly they were in Coast-City. Green lights collected and took shape above him, gaining intricate detail and clarity. But it wasn't needed. He knew the bomb. He saw it in his nightmares. Somewhere below, Alex was alone. Away from Kyle— dumped. And about to be blown to ash.
"Hey— what the hell are you doing? Turn this off!" Kyle pressed but he couldn't move his arm.
The bomb fell.
"STOP!"
Ganthet watched, uncaring. Like a god that couldn't be bothered with comprehending human trauma and small scale feelings.
The bomb hit and the construct reimagining of a once beautiful city shattered. Mushroom clouds spun and buildings burned. Screaming faces melted in the verdant smoke plumes. Seven million dead in an instant.
Kyle vomited on his shoes. The ring cleaned them instantly.
When he stood up, relatively recovered, the disaster was gone. His heart still hammered in his ears.
"Why are you showing me this?"
"Because, Kyle Rayner. You are not the only hero that has failed to save another." Ganthet replied.
The construct lightshow took on a new form.
Coast-City was as he now knew it. An empty crater of burned earth.
A solitary Lantern walked its destitute lengths alone. Drifting. Limping. Carrying on all the same. His ring beeped— like a beacon. Or a heart losing its beat. Fading.
He looked like death warmed over.
"His name was Hal Jordan. The greatest Green-Lantern ever. Unending will. Fearless. He was surrounded by daughters of Zeus, genius level intellects and aliens made into gods. He kept up with them with little more than his bravery and willpower. He was…. Legendary. But could not save his city."
They both watched as Hal Jordan worked his ring, trying to bring back even the memory of his old life. Of the trees lining his streets— the kids playing lantern verses Sinestro on the streets. The parents driving to work with smiles on their faces.
He was remaking the entire city in his image. It was killing him. He strained. He sacrificed skin and bone to continue his constructs. To bring back the dead and then some.
But his mind wavered. The constructs cracked like fragile glass in a windstorm. His ring didn't have enough power to keep up. The Guardians wouldn't let him.
Kyle watched him argue with the Guardians.
He pleaded for more power. The power to right his wrongs.
Kyle resonated with his pleas. He made the same ones in his room many times.
He never got a response. He just wallowed.
Hal on the other hand, was denied. Harshly. Coldly. Regarded as if he was insane for wanting back what he lost tragically.
Kyle could see something crack in him. Never to be resewn.
He didn't want to see anymore. He ripped off his ring.
Ganthet spun around to look at him. Only now realizing how it all was affecting Kyle as he stood shaking, back in his old wet and ripped clothes.
"Kyle—"
"Who was I kidding? It was cool to fly and be…. awesome, but it's time to get real. You didn't tell me anything other than that even the greatest of your Lanterns can't save the ones they love. They go insane from the power and grow to resent you— and honestly, I get it."
Ganthet stopped trying to speak. Kyle pressed further.
"Did you guys even try to console him? Did you care about Hal or was he just one of your ring-wielding soldiers? The hell is he doing alone at the place where he lost his family? I don't need that. I'm not your hero. I'm not saving a universe because YOU think it's my job. I cheated on my girlfriend and she died. I want to do better. It doesn't need to be more than that. I don't even think I can take that. The ring made a mistake. Now I have a comic panel to finish before seven am. And you have a new Lantern to find. For the next one I suggest a less intense approach." Kyle threw Ganthet the power ring and left.
Ganthet watched him go, limping and wet like some lost puppy. But still there was a strength to him. To be able to own his mistakes all while denying the greatest power in the universe. No fear in being mundane and weak and susceptible to the damages of life in their world.
"Hal rejected us too, Kyle. If anything, you've only passed another test. I'm sure the others would agree. I was never the best at talking to earthlings. Always so sensitive."
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
_Avatar0FFury_
_Avatar0FFury_ Naturally, if a dwarf-god comes and gives a broke college student a ring and tells him to save the universe, it won’t go well. so that’s the end of this fic. no new GL.
jk.
Green Lantern Corps members always bump heads with The Guardians. it’s engrained in the source material!
I wonder now what would bring the ring back to him…… hehe…. stay tuned. hope you enjoyed. I know a lot of readers hate a mc that just floats along with the plot, so I am working to consider what a human reaction would be in the moments like this— but also an in character reaction. I hope you feel I’ve done that here. lmk what ya think and leave a review telling others how I’m doin so far!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein