Post by jross on May 12, 2011 11:16:23 GMT -5
Ultimate Green Lantern, Issue #1: The Will to Power
“Is this fella been botherin' you, ma'am,” the drawling voice asking the question belonged to a lanky, weather-beaten man in a uniform the same tan shade as his skin, “we got a call from one of your neighbors about some noise.”
The speaker, Taos County sheriff Hal Jordan, was stepping from his department pick-up while his deputy, Thomas Kalmaku, radioed dispatch and quickly stepped to follow Jordan. In the summer evening's fading light both men were straining their eyes to catch any sign of trouble.
“Oh, uh, we were just talking, Hal,” the response came from an embarrassed-looking woman standing on the porch of a bohemian home. Tall, thin and raven-haired with locks cascading to the small of her back like a waterfall.
“Carol, come on. We both know that there's more to it than that. I wish you'd-,” Jordan stopped himself. The woman, Carol Ferris, was an ex-girlfriend, and Hal had a lot that he wanted to say. But he wouldn't say it in front of Tom Kalmaku; best friend or not, the issues between Hal and Carol were theirs and theirs alone and Hal was not one to share his business. That, and currently an 800-pound gorilla was tearing his through Carol's pottery studio, lending just a bit of urgency to the situation.
“Ma'am,” Tom spoke, mercifully breaking an awkward silence, “we're going to have to speak with him. This isn't the first time we've been out here.”
Carol responded with a pained look on her face, “Come on, Hal. It's just that Guy's been-”
“GUY'S BEEN WHAT,” the gorilla, a brute by the name of Guy Gardner pushed his way out of the door, nearly tearing it off of its hinges, “CAROL, DO YOU WANT A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN YOU'VE ALREADY GOT?”
Gardner was shaking his fist at Carol, oblivious to the two armed men on the front lawn. That was enough for both Hal and Tom. With a shared silent nod, the two men sprang forward, Tom's hands working to un-holster his taser, while Hal went it bare-fisted. Ever since high school, there had been a great deal of hostility between Hal and Guy, and Hal was going to get satisfaction tonight. He leaped forward to the porch, and-
WHUMP! Gardner spun quickly, catching Hal just below the solar plexus with his right fist, doubling him over. WHAM! The right was followed by a sharp left fist to the tip of Jordan's chin, spinning the sheriff and dropping him to the ground.
“HAL! GUY!” Carol shouted incredulously.
“Carol, you need to get back in the house,” Tom called to Carol, and the woman wasted no time getting to safety.
Tom readied his taser but his forearms were struck by a left back-hand from Guy, knocking the weapon to the hard, brown earth.
“Hey, Pie Face, why don't you head back to Alaska and live with the rest of the Eskimos on an iceberg?” Guy taunted the deputy.
Talk like that would have less level-headed man explode in the same rage that Guy Gardner was showing now, but Tom Kalmaku was better than that. Not rising to take the bait, the young man dived to his right, grabbing the taser as Gardner lunged after him. Tom rolled, spinning around and fired. The twin probes streaked from the weapon, lancing into Guy's left side. For nearly eight seconds the big man writhed as thousands of volts arced throughout his body.
Kalmaku was on Guy the instant the charge dissipated. Tom knelt on Gardner's back, cuffing his hands together. Rather than read Guy his rights, however, Tom bounded to Hal, worry for his friend crowding out procedure. Hal had managed to get to his knees and was gasping and retching while Tom helped him to his feet.
Nearly a minute later, Hal was able to walk without assistance, though his head hurt worse than the time Guy had rabbit-punched him at football practice back in school. Wordlessly, he walked over to Guy, who was still lying on his stomach and delivered a swift kick to his ribs. Hal grinned as he heard the crack of bone and Guy's anguished scream. He drew his foot back again, ready to kick even harder when he was interrupted by a stern voice.
“Hal, stop!” small but firm hands spun him around on his left foot before he could kick and Hal stumbled slightly. One of the hands delivered a quick slap to Hal's face. “What has gotten into you, Hal Jordan? Have you lost yourself so much that you'd kick a man when he's down?”
Carol's blue eyes bored into Hal. He couldn't stand her to be angry at him. Dropping his head, he muttered to Tom, “Call Jim out here to take you both into town. I'm goin' for a ride.”
Tom nodded and radioed dispatch again while Hal walked toward his truck. Carol was shouting at him. Always more to say, more to talk about, argue about. He wasn't in the mood, and he squealed down Carol's gravel driveway in reverse, kicking up rocks to drown her out.
As he drove, Hal thought. Why was Carol with Guy? Why did she always want to talk about Hal and herself? Why had he started to unload on Guy after Guy was on the ground in cuffs?
To tell the truth, Hal had noticed that he had slowly stopped caring. There was that abusive junkie whose jaw he'd broken last week, and that scared kid he'd locked up for joyriding without letting him call his parents for hours a few weeks before that. Tom was good about holding Hal back, and he hadn't said anything to anyone else, but Hal knew that if he didn't shape up soon, trouble would catch up to him.
Hal was snapped back to reality as he felt his truck shake and saw the darkening sky light up a brilliant shade of neon green. A streak of light soared over and past the truck, out into the desert. There was a crashing boom and Hal's truck really started to rock.
What was that?! Hal thought. Meteor? Plane crash? There could be people in trouble. Hal radioed his location quickly and veered off-road, in the direction of the streak.
After three minutes, Hal came on a circle of scorched earth about forty feet in diameter. At the center was a flickering green light, and Hal thought that he could make out the shadow of a person. Hopping out of his truck he broke into a run, calling out the still form.
[glow=green,2,300]<Stop. Come no closer.>[/glow] A thought entered Hal's mind that was not his own. The strange voice of someone else, although his ears heard no sound. Hal found himself stopping, puzzled. [glow=green,2,300]<I am Abin Sur, and you must assist.>[/glow]
There was another green flash, and a series of images raced through Hal's mind. The effect was like opening a container with contents under pressure. All at once Hal saw a man, no not a man but like one, purple and wearing green. The not-a-man was the Abin Sur who had thought-spoken earlier, Hal somehow knew.
In the streaking images, Abin Sur was flying through space, surrounded only be a field of green light. There was a small spacecraft behind him, which fired weapons. There was fight between Abin Sur and his pursuer, and then falling.
Hal had never before seen anything of this sort, yet as he saw, he understood. Hal did not give much thought to what was outside of his own life, but faced with something beyond basic human experience, he accepted what he saw.
The form before him, the same Abin Sur from the images, feebly lifted its right arm. From the shaking hand there was a small green light. The light moved closer, and Hal saw that it was a ring. Unconsciously, Hal raised his own right arm as the ring approached. Of its own will, the ring slid onto the middle finger of Hal's right hand.
There was a powerful warmth that spread throughout Hal's body, although it did not burn. A force that shook him, although it did not hurt. A roar through his mind, although it did not pain him.
[glow=green,2,300]<Hal Jordan, you are in danger.>[/glow] Abin Sur's mind came again into Hal's. [glow=green,2,300]<The ones who pursued me are coming.[/i]>[/glow]
Before Hal could ask what Abin Sur meant, there was another streak through the sky. Suddenly before him, Hal saw another form, red and menacing. The new alien bellowed, and Hal felt his knees shaking.
[glow=green,2,300]<Hal Jordan, the ring. You must let me- let us...>[/glow]
Hal saw a brilliant white light in front of him, and slipped from consciousness. When he came to, he saw that the red alien was lying before him, still and bleeding heavily.
“What happened?” Hal asked aloud.
[glow=green,2,300]<The ring. It allowed my consciousness to overtake your own form. It was necessary to save you. Hal Jordan, you and your planet are in danger. My body has perished. Duty calls you, Hal Jordan. Will you act to save your people?>[/glow]
Hal briefly thought, somehow understanding Abin Sur's words, looking past the impossible situation in which he found himself. He somehow accepted the reality facing him. The sight of the dead scarlet creature in front of him caused him to shiver again, but another image came to his mind. He thought of Carol, menaced by the same creature, and he made up his mind.
“Yes, I will,” was Hal's only reply.
<It is good, then.> Abin Sur's voice seemed relieved. It continued, optimistically. <Hal Jordan of Earth, you have the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.>
TO BE CONTINUED...
“Is this fella been botherin' you, ma'am,” the drawling voice asking the question belonged to a lanky, weather-beaten man in a uniform the same tan shade as his skin, “we got a call from one of your neighbors about some noise.”
The speaker, Taos County sheriff Hal Jordan, was stepping from his department pick-up while his deputy, Thomas Kalmaku, radioed dispatch and quickly stepped to follow Jordan. In the summer evening's fading light both men were straining their eyes to catch any sign of trouble.
“Oh, uh, we were just talking, Hal,” the response came from an embarrassed-looking woman standing on the porch of a bohemian home. Tall, thin and raven-haired with locks cascading to the small of her back like a waterfall.
“Carol, come on. We both know that there's more to it than that. I wish you'd-,” Jordan stopped himself. The woman, Carol Ferris, was an ex-girlfriend, and Hal had a lot that he wanted to say. But he wouldn't say it in front of Tom Kalmaku; best friend or not, the issues between Hal and Carol were theirs and theirs alone and Hal was not one to share his business. That, and currently an 800-pound gorilla was tearing his through Carol's pottery studio, lending just a bit of urgency to the situation.
“Ma'am,” Tom spoke, mercifully breaking an awkward silence, “we're going to have to speak with him. This isn't the first time we've been out here.”
Carol responded with a pained look on her face, “Come on, Hal. It's just that Guy's been-”
“GUY'S BEEN WHAT,” the gorilla, a brute by the name of Guy Gardner pushed his way out of the door, nearly tearing it off of its hinges, “CAROL, DO YOU WANT A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN YOU'VE ALREADY GOT?”
Gardner was shaking his fist at Carol, oblivious to the two armed men on the front lawn. That was enough for both Hal and Tom. With a shared silent nod, the two men sprang forward, Tom's hands working to un-holster his taser, while Hal went it bare-fisted. Ever since high school, there had been a great deal of hostility between Hal and Guy, and Hal was going to get satisfaction tonight. He leaped forward to the porch, and-
WHUMP! Gardner spun quickly, catching Hal just below the solar plexus with his right fist, doubling him over. WHAM! The right was followed by a sharp left fist to the tip of Jordan's chin, spinning the sheriff and dropping him to the ground.
“HAL! GUY!” Carol shouted incredulously.
“Carol, you need to get back in the house,” Tom called to Carol, and the woman wasted no time getting to safety.
Tom readied his taser but his forearms were struck by a left back-hand from Guy, knocking the weapon to the hard, brown earth.
“Hey, Pie Face, why don't you head back to Alaska and live with the rest of the Eskimos on an iceberg?” Guy taunted the deputy.
Talk like that would have less level-headed man explode in the same rage that Guy Gardner was showing now, but Tom Kalmaku was better than that. Not rising to take the bait, the young man dived to his right, grabbing the taser as Gardner lunged after him. Tom rolled, spinning around and fired. The twin probes streaked from the weapon, lancing into Guy's left side. For nearly eight seconds the big man writhed as thousands of volts arced throughout his body.
Kalmaku was on Guy the instant the charge dissipated. Tom knelt on Gardner's back, cuffing his hands together. Rather than read Guy his rights, however, Tom bounded to Hal, worry for his friend crowding out procedure. Hal had managed to get to his knees and was gasping and retching while Tom helped him to his feet.
Nearly a minute later, Hal was able to walk without assistance, though his head hurt worse than the time Guy had rabbit-punched him at football practice back in school. Wordlessly, he walked over to Guy, who was still lying on his stomach and delivered a swift kick to his ribs. Hal grinned as he heard the crack of bone and Guy's anguished scream. He drew his foot back again, ready to kick even harder when he was interrupted by a stern voice.
“Hal, stop!” small but firm hands spun him around on his left foot before he could kick and Hal stumbled slightly. One of the hands delivered a quick slap to Hal's face. “What has gotten into you, Hal Jordan? Have you lost yourself so much that you'd kick a man when he's down?”
Carol's blue eyes bored into Hal. He couldn't stand her to be angry at him. Dropping his head, he muttered to Tom, “Call Jim out here to take you both into town. I'm goin' for a ride.”
Tom nodded and radioed dispatch again while Hal walked toward his truck. Carol was shouting at him. Always more to say, more to talk about, argue about. He wasn't in the mood, and he squealed down Carol's gravel driveway in reverse, kicking up rocks to drown her out.
As he drove, Hal thought. Why was Carol with Guy? Why did she always want to talk about Hal and herself? Why had he started to unload on Guy after Guy was on the ground in cuffs?
To tell the truth, Hal had noticed that he had slowly stopped caring. There was that abusive junkie whose jaw he'd broken last week, and that scared kid he'd locked up for joyriding without letting him call his parents for hours a few weeks before that. Tom was good about holding Hal back, and he hadn't said anything to anyone else, but Hal knew that if he didn't shape up soon, trouble would catch up to him.
Hal was snapped back to reality as he felt his truck shake and saw the darkening sky light up a brilliant shade of neon green. A streak of light soared over and past the truck, out into the desert. There was a crashing boom and Hal's truck really started to rock.
What was that?! Hal thought. Meteor? Plane crash? There could be people in trouble. Hal radioed his location quickly and veered off-road, in the direction of the streak.
After three minutes, Hal came on a circle of scorched earth about forty feet in diameter. At the center was a flickering green light, and Hal thought that he could make out the shadow of a person. Hopping out of his truck he broke into a run, calling out the still form.
[glow=green,2,300]<Stop. Come no closer.>[/glow] A thought entered Hal's mind that was not his own. The strange voice of someone else, although his ears heard no sound. Hal found himself stopping, puzzled. [glow=green,2,300]<I am Abin Sur, and you must assist.>[/glow]
There was another green flash, and a series of images raced through Hal's mind. The effect was like opening a container with contents under pressure. All at once Hal saw a man, no not a man but like one, purple and wearing green. The not-a-man was the Abin Sur who had thought-spoken earlier, Hal somehow knew.
In the streaking images, Abin Sur was flying through space, surrounded only be a field of green light. There was a small spacecraft behind him, which fired weapons. There was fight between Abin Sur and his pursuer, and then falling.
Hal had never before seen anything of this sort, yet as he saw, he understood. Hal did not give much thought to what was outside of his own life, but faced with something beyond basic human experience, he accepted what he saw.
The form before him, the same Abin Sur from the images, feebly lifted its right arm. From the shaking hand there was a small green light. The light moved closer, and Hal saw that it was a ring. Unconsciously, Hal raised his own right arm as the ring approached. Of its own will, the ring slid onto the middle finger of Hal's right hand.
There was a powerful warmth that spread throughout Hal's body, although it did not burn. A force that shook him, although it did not hurt. A roar through his mind, although it did not pain him.
[glow=green,2,300]<Hal Jordan, you are in danger.>[/glow] Abin Sur's mind came again into Hal's. [glow=green,2,300]<The ones who pursued me are coming.[/i]>[/glow]
Before Hal could ask what Abin Sur meant, there was another streak through the sky. Suddenly before him, Hal saw another form, red and menacing. The new alien bellowed, and Hal felt his knees shaking.
[glow=green,2,300]<Hal Jordan, the ring. You must let me- let us...>[/glow]
Hal saw a brilliant white light in front of him, and slipped from consciousness. When he came to, he saw that the red alien was lying before him, still and bleeding heavily.
“What happened?” Hal asked aloud.
[glow=green,2,300]<The ring. It allowed my consciousness to overtake your own form. It was necessary to save you. Hal Jordan, you and your planet are in danger. My body has perished. Duty calls you, Hal Jordan. Will you act to save your people?>[/glow]
Hal briefly thought, somehow understanding Abin Sur's words, looking past the impossible situation in which he found himself. He somehow accepted the reality facing him. The sight of the dead scarlet creature in front of him caused him to shiver again, but another image came to his mind. He thought of Carol, menaced by the same creature, and he made up his mind.
“Yes, I will,” was Hal's only reply.
<It is good, then.> Abin Sur's voice seemed relieved. It continued, optimistically. <Hal Jordan of Earth, you have the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.>
TO BE CONTINUED...